Sar-e Pol, also spelled Sari Pul (Dari/Pashto: سرپل), is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the north of the country. It borders Ghor and Bamyan to the south, Samangan to the east, Balkh and Jowzjan to the north, and Faryab to the west. The province is divided into 7 districts and contains 896 villages. It has a population of about 632,000,[2] which is multi-ethnic and mostly a tribal society. The province was created in 1988, with the support of northern Afghan politician Sayed Nasim Mihanparast.[3] The city of Sar-e Pol serves as the provincial capital.
During the Afghan Civil War, the area was controlled by forces loyal to Abdul Rashid Dostum. It was captured by the Taliban in 1998. Aminullah Amin, the first senior member of the Taliban to be captured, was the former governor of the province.[4]
In 2009, the provincial Police Chief stated that weapons had been collected from many people and three districts, namely, Sangcharak, Gosfandi, and Sozama Qala areas termed as the peaceful districts of the province. In operations against militants, the police chief said they had arrested a prominent Taliban commander Mullah Nader along with 11 other people during the recent operations. He said scores of kilograms of hashish and opium had also been seized from people during the operations.[5]
The biggest threat to travelers in Sar-e Pol province remains highway bandits and thieves, corrupt militiamen and police, and road hazards. During the American-Afghan war, small groups of cadres were active throughout the province. These groups often relied on larger support networks in neighboring provinces.
On August 8, 2021, the Taliban regained control of the provincial capital.[6]
The percentage of households with clean drinking water increased from 8% in 2005 to 15% in 2011.[7]
The percentage of births attended to by a skilled birth attendant increased from 0% in 2005 to 20% in 2011.[7]
The overall literacy rate (6+ years of age) increased from 12% in 2005 to 23% in 2011.[7]
The overall net enrolment rate (6–13 years of age) increased from 22% in 2005 to 46% in 2011.[7]
Sar-e Pol is a mountainous province, especially in its southern part. It covers an area of 16,360 km. Three quarters (75%) of the province is mountainous or semi mountainous terrain while one-seventh (14%) of the area is made up of flat land. The province is divided into 7 districts, containing 896 of villages.
As of 2021, the total population of the province was about 632,000. The major ethnic group were Uzbeks, followed by Hazaras and Pashtuns, with some Tajiks and Arabs.[8]
^Note: "Predominantely" or "dominated" is interpreted as 99%, "majority" as 70%, "mixed" as 1/(number of ethnicities), "minority" as 30% and "few" or "some" as 1%.
Mining and agriculture are the main industries of the province. The Government of Afghanistan signed a deal with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) for the development of oil blocks in the Amu Darya basin, a project expected to earn billions of dollars over two decades; the deal covers drilling and a refinery in the northern provinces of Sar-e Pol and Faryab and is the first international oil production agreement entered into by the Afghan government for several decades.[9] Production of the Afghan oil began in October 2012, which was expected to increase to 1 million barrels per year in 2013.[10]
On October 5, 2018, in Washington, D.C., Afghan officials signed a 30-year contract involving a $56 million investment by investment group Centar and its operating company Afghan Gold and Minerals Co. for exploration of an area covering 500 square km for copper, with development of mining due to begin thereafter.[11]
Afghanistan
